The present invention generally relates to ferromagnetic thin film memory devices and sensors, and more particularly, to shielding for such thin film ferromagnetic memory devices and sensors.
Digital memories of various kinds are used extensively in computer and computer system components, digital processing systems and the like. Such memories can be formed, to considerable advantage, based on the storage of digital bits as alternative states of magnetization of magnetic materials in each memory cell, typically thin-film materials. These films may be thin ferromagnetic films having information stored therein based on the direction of the magnetization occurring in those films. The information is typically obtained either by inductive sensing to determine the magnetization state, or by magneto-resistive sensing of each state.
Such ferromagnetic thin-film memories may be conveniently provided on the surface of a monolithic integrated circuit to thereby provide easy electrical interconnection between the memory cells and the memory operating circuitry on the monolithic integrated circuit. When so provided, it is desirable to reduce the size and increase the packing density of the ferromagnetic thin-film memory cells to achieve a significant density of stored digital bits.
Typically, a thin-film magnetic memory includes a number of sense lines intersected by a number of word lines. At each intersection, a thin film of magnetically coercive material is provided. The magnetic material forms a magnetic memory cell in which a bit of information is stored. A number of digital lines may also be provided. The digital lines typically extend parallel to the sense lines, and are used to initially help rotate the magnetic field vector of the memory cells during, for example, a write operation. This initial rotation of the magnetic field vector increases the torque that can be applied by the word line field during a write operation. Typically, both the digital line and the word line must be asserted to write a corresponding magnetic bit within the memory. Therefore, the digital line can be used to select whether a read or a write operation is performed. For example, when only the word line is asserted, a read operation is performed. When both the word line and digital line are asserted, then a write operation is performed.
A number of competing factors influence the packing density that can be achieved in a typical memory. One factor is the width and thickness of the word lines, and where applicable, digital lines. The dimensions of the word lines and digital lines must typically decrease with increased packing density. Reducing the dimensions of the word lines and digital lines, however, tends to reduce the current that can be accommodated thereby, and thus the magnetic field that can be produced at the corresponding magnetic bit regions.
Another factor is the distance between the word lines and, where applicable, digital lines, and thus the distance between a word line and/or digital line and an adjacent memory cell. Typically, the distance between the word lines and the digital lines must decrease with increased packing density. However, this increases the likelihood that the magnetic field produced by one word line or digital line may adversely affect the information stored in an adjacent memory cell. This adverse interaction is often called cross-talk.
Since a magnetic memory operates with internally generated magnetic fields from word, sense, and digital lines, it is desirable to shield it from externally generated low frequency magnetic fields as well as EMI. One way to reduce the effects of externally generated fields on thin film magnetic memories is to provide a shield in the package that houses the memory. Shielded packages typically have a cavity for receiving the thin-film magnetic memory. A lower shielding layer is provided below the cavity, and an upper shielding layer is provided above the cavity, such as in or on the package lid. The upper and lower shielding layers are often formed from Mu metal or the like. In this configuration, the upper and lower shielding layers may help shunt externally generated fields, limiting their influence on the thin-film magnetic memory.
A limitation of using shielded packages is that the shielding layers may not protect the magnetic bits from internally generated fields, such as those produced by adjacent word or digital lines or the like. Instead, the upper and lower shielding layers of the package may actually increase or concentrate the internally generated fields at the magnetic bit in much the same way as a word line keeper increases or concentrates the magnetic field produced by a word line at the magnetic bit.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,039,655 to Pisharody discloses one approach for reducing internally generated noise, and more particularly, for reducing cross-talk between word lines and adjacent magnetic bits. In Pisharody, a magnetic field keeper formed from a superconductor material is provided around at least three sides of each word line. Pisharody states that the superconductor material shunts the magnetic fields generated by the adjacent word lines, thereby reducing the effects on adjacent memory cells.
A limitation of Pisharody is that only one side of each memory cell has a superconducting magnetic field keeper. Thus, the other side of each memory cell is left completely unprotected from stray fields. As such, magnetic fields that enter the memory from the non-word line side are not suppressed by the superconducting layer. Rather, the superconducting layer may actually increase or concentrate the fields at the magnetic bit regions in much the same way as a word line keeper increases or concentrates the magnetic field produced by a word line at the magnetic bit.
What would be desirable, therefore, is a monolithically formed thin-film magnetic memory that has local shielding on both sides of a magnetic bit to help protect the magnetic bit from external EMI, internally generated cross-talk, and other internally and externally generated noise.